CARGOCONNECT-JUNE2026 - Flipbook - Page 63
E-Commerce Supply Chain FEATURE
As modern commerce drives demand for ultra-fast deliveries,
companies are shifting toward decentralised warehousing, microfulfilment centres, and real-time inventory management. In this
special feature, Akanksha Singh explores how AI is transforming
e-commerce supply chains, the strategies enabling quick
commerce, role of AI in improving demand forecasting and
inventory accuracy for building resilient and agile value chains
amid disruptions, while also focussing on tools that helps reduce
empty miles to shape a futuristic e-commerce landscape.
F
or modern e-commerce supply
chains, automation serves as
the invisible backbone of retail
operations by predicting disruptions, optimising routes, and
enabling faster decision-making.
Arti昀椀cial Intelligence (AI) led
automation is transforming
e-commerce by shifting it from
a static, transactional process
into a highly personalised, predictive, and conversational experience. These technologies optimise
every touchpoint; from supply chain management to
dynamic marketing and customer service, resulting
in signi昀椀cantly higher conversion rates.
AI: New Command Center of
E-commerce Supply Chains
The rise of AI is revolutionising e-commerce supply
chains by transforming operations from reactive, siloed
processes into connected, self-learning ecosystems.
It replaces static rules with dynamic, data-informed
systems that optimise inventory, predict disruptions,
and automate ful昀椀lment. Adopting AI-driven strategies
allows e-commerce businesses to transform their
supply chain performance in several core areas such as
demand sensing, Machine Learning (ML) algorithms,
dynamic routing, automated warehousing, end-to-end
tracking, and proactive supplier monitoring.
“AI will move from being a support tool to becoming the core decision engine of supply chains. Over the
next 3–5 years, most planning—right from demand
forecasting to replenishment and allocation will be
AI-led with minimal manual intervention. The biggest
shift will be real-time decision-making,” emphasises
Shruti Shukla, VP– E-Commerce, Omnichannel
& International Business, Monte Carlo Fashions.
She adds that instead of monthly or weekly
planning cycles, supply chains will react dynamically
to demand signals, pricing changes, and external
factors like weather or events. This will signi昀椀cantly
reduce overstocking, improve sell-through, and
tighten working capital.
By 2030, supply chains are expected to become
autonomous, hyperlocal, and seamlessly integrated,
powered by AI, robotics, and automation. “Over the
next 3–5 years, AI will move from being a supporting
tool to becoming the central nervous system of
e-commerce supply chains,” agrees Kaustav Basu,
Business Head, Klydo. “From procurement to lastmile delivery, AI will enable real-time decision-making,
predictive analytics, and autonomous operations,”
he notes, adding that companies will increasingly
rely on AI to dynamically optimise routes, allocate
inventory, and even negotiate supplier contracts
based on data patterns.
AI becomes
supply chain
decision
engine within
the next 3–5
years.
Autonomous
hyperlocal
supply chains
are expected
to dominate by
2030.
“AI will move from being
a support tool to becoming
the core decision engine of
supply chains.”
SHRUTI SHUKLA
VP– E-Commerce, Omnichannel & International Business,
Monte Carlo Fashions
CARGOCONNECT JUNE 2026 | 63
